Undertrial had planned his escape

The undertrial, who outwitted the police and fled on Monday, had planned his escape well in advance.

It turns out that Amrik Singh, who was produced before a court in the city, fled from his house at Guru Nanak Colony where he was taken by his aides with the consent of head constable Anil Kumar.Kumar had said on Monday that Singh had pushed him and had fled from the court complex.

The head constable, said the police, had made a false statement, which he later retracted.The police have booked the head constable for colluding with the accused.

Singh was undergoing the trial on the charges of attempt to murder.

Amrik's father Kulwant Singh, brother Amandeep Singh and a couple of other aides helped him to flee. The Dugri police have registered a case against all of them.

According to the FIR registered by the Dugri police, the accused was lodged in the Ludhiana Central Jail. In fact, the jail authorities had registered another case against him for illegally possessing a mobile phone in the jail on August 12 this year.

According to the police, the head constable ferried the accused to his home after producing him before the court on Monday in a car.

After reaching his house, the accused, his father, brother and other accomplices outwitted the head constable and fled in a car.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mehar Singh, who heads the staff deputed for transporting undertrials from jail to court complex, said, "Anil Kumar disappeared from the court complex. I made several calls to him, but he kept making excuses. Later, he switched off his phone."

The ASI said at around 5 pm, the head constable came to him and presented a concocted story saying Amrik had fled from the court complex after pushing him.

The officials investigating the matter said the accused had hatched the conspiracy to flee in the jail itself.

His aides, whom he had met him in the jail, helped him to escape. They were granted bail by the court some days ago.

Inspector Satwinder Singh, station house officer (SHO), police station Dugri, said the police had launched a manhunt to arrest the accused.